Telling pregnant women to drink no alcohol would be counterproductive

There is no evidence that low levels of drinking during pregnancy are harmful, and to say so risks stigmatising responsible drinkersWomen should be warned that drinking alcohol during pregnancy has the potential to cause permanent brain damage to their baby and other birth defects, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Trust and nearly 70 medical professionals.The report is likely to reignite the debate about how much, if any, alcohol it is safe to drink during pregnancy. Current UK guidance advises women to avoid all alcohol, but that if they choose to drink they should limit consumption to between one and two units of alcohol once or twice a week.Some, including the report's lead author, consultant psychiatrist Raja Mukherjee, think this is a mixed message and women should simply be told not to drink any alcohol. I disagree, because I feel this would be at odds with the current scientific evidence and risks alienating responsible women who rightly believe that an occasional small drink during pregnancy is unlikely to cause harm.There can be no doubt that heavy and even moderate drinking during pregnancy is damaging. According to a recent report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, drinking more than six units a day (or a couple of glasses of wine), puts babies at risk of FASD. Around 8,000 new cases of FASD are diagnosed each year. Just two units a day (a small glass of wine) during late pregnancy substantia...
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